By Shane Goebel
If you are looking for an explosive biting, line screaming, pole bending crazy good time fishing, then you must read this! Imagine someone threw a grenade in the water. That’s how these North Georgia and Western North Carolina stripers hit this time of year. It’s absolutely insane when that reel starts screaming, rod doubles over, and you feel like you have a Nascar on the end of the line lol. Yup! That all means it’s once again monster striper time on this wicked fun Western North Carolina lake located in Murphy, NC. April and May are two of my favorite months on Lake Hiwassee. If all this sounds like something down your alley, then it’s time to book that striper trip with Lake Hiwassees #1 striper guide service, Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service. We are one of the south’s premier striper guide services and have what it takes to put you on some trophy stripers!
Currently, Lake Hiwassee is 19 feet below full pool. Water temperatures have been in the low to mid 50’s. Water clarity is clear in the main lake and just slightly stained in the backs of the creeks and rivers.
Spring is in the air and striper fishing has been super out here lately. We’ve have had such an amazing early spring striper run and it’s only going to get better! Most of the stripers we are catching have been in the 12 to 25 pound range, and we have been loading the boat with these monsters. The warmer unusual water temps have had these fish schooled up and aggressively biting. Our boats have had a bunch of 20 plus striper mornings in the past couple of weeks. We have also been wearing them out on light tackle, which is so darn fun! This pattern should continue into the month of April and increase as the stripers start their pre-spawn. Pulling planer boards with live herring and huge gizzard shad in the backs of creeks and around shallow, sloping banks is going to be the best technique. It’s also a good idea to work the banks by casting a Zara Spook or a Red Fin. As the sun comes up, turn your focus to fishing the mouths of creeks, as the stripers will follow bait to deeper water. With pre-spawn in mind, more and more stripers will start to stage in the mouths of creeks in April and start to work their way to the backs. Also, keep an eye on your electronics for schooling stripers, and pay attention to where the bait balls are. I guarantee you, if you find the bait, the stripers will be close by.
April is a fantastic month for catching a lot of trophy stripers on this Western North Carolina Lake. Give Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service a call and let the area’s #1-rated guide service put you on some of this lakes best trophy stripers during the fishing trip of a lifetime. We are Murphy, NC’s and Blairsville Georgia’s premier full-time guide service, specializing in striped and hybrid bass. We also serve Lakes Nottely and Chatuge (in North Carolina), and Lake Blue Ridge in Blue Ridge, GA. So, come fish with the pros for the opportunity to be featured in Angler Magazine, and let us help you get your fish on!
Shane Goebel owns Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service and is a member of The Angler Magazine Fishing Team. See the website at www.bigolfish.com or call (828) 361-2021